Jahii Carson finishes Arizona State career with no regrets

Jahii Carson’s Arizona State career came to a close in the most painful of ways.

Carson, a redshirt sophomore, scored 19 points on 6-of-16 shooting in Thursday’s 87-85 NCAA Tournament loss to Texas. He dished out nine assists while grabbing four rebounds and two steals.

But he and his team couldn’t corral the most important board of the game, as Cameron Ridley rebounded Jonathan Holmes’ missed three and flipped the ball into the basket as the buzzer sounded.

“When they got the ball coming down for the last shot we felt confident,” Carson said after the game. “I saw everybody in a great defensive stance. Everybody had that look in their eye that their man wasn’t going to score.

“He took a long contested three. The ball didn’t bounce our way and, you know, things happen that way.”

It is the NCAA Tournament, after all.

“It was tough, especially on a game-winning buzzer, last second shot, for any game it’s tough, but especially since it’s March Madness and we wanted to get to the second round so bad,” he said. “It’s just very emotional for all us.”

It’s not the first time Carson or the Sun Devils have been downed in a heartbreaking fashion, and it certainly won’t be the last. Carson, who averaged 18.6 points, 4.6 assists and four rebounds per game this season, plans on entering the 2014 NBA Draft.

So while his ASU tenure may be over, his basketball career most certainly is not.

“I’m very happy and pleased with my career here at Arizona State,” he said. “I’ve had great coaches, I’ve had great mentors — people to help guide me, not just in the basketball aspect of my life, but outside in my personal life. I’ve had great teammates, I’ve had a great supporting cast. My family has supported me.